Machine tool

In a machine tool, a circular support having an upper support surface and comprising a series of separable arcuate sectors with radial ends;

• an annular gear overlying and being spaced from said support surface;
• a plurality of rollers carried by said support and engaging the undersurface of said gear to support the gear for rotation about a vertical axis;
• first and second annular rails on said support surface, one rail on each side of said gear;
• said first rail having a cam surface;
• there being a plurality of spaced work stations located around said support;
• a pallet for supporting a workpiece and movable through said work stations;
• means connecting said pallet to said gear for rotational movement, yet accommodating limited relative vertical and horizontal movement therebetween;
• a first roller carried by the underside of said pallet intermediate its ends on one side thereof and engageable with said first rail;
• a pair of longitudinally spaced second rollers carried by the underside of said pallet adjacent its ends upon the other side thereof and engageable with said second rail;
• a plurality of spaced abutments mounted on said support at each station, and engageable with said pallet when at a work station whereby said pallet is supported solely by said abutments and not by said gear, with said first and second rollers being spaced from said rails a small vertical distance;
• clamping means carried by said support engageable with said pallet for clamping the pallet to said abutments when at a work station;
• indexing means on said support for rotating said gear and thereby moving said pallet between work stations, whereby said first rail cams said first roller upwardly thereby lifting the corresponding edge of said pallet to a transfer position and lowering said second rollers to engage said second rail, and said pallet being lifted out of engagement with said abutments, resulting in the pallet and its workpiece being carried by said rails and not by said gear, as said gear is rotated to move said pallet to the next work station;
• radial depending end flanges at the ends of each sector, said sectors being arranged end to end in a circle, the end flanges of adjacent sectors being in lateral engagement;
• opposite ends of each sector having upwardly opening radial recesses defining a ledge;
• a radial spanner plate nested upon ledges between a pair of adjacent sectors;
• fasteners securing said spanner plates to said sectors respectively;
• said indexing means being arranged upon one side of said annular gear;
• there being a pair of spaced apertures upon the top of each sector upon the other side of said gear;
• a roller mount of cylindrical form nested in each aperture;
• a backup roll journaled upon a vertical axis upon said roller mount;
• an arcuate mount flange on said roller mount overlying said support sector;
• and a series of fasteners adjustably securing said flange thereto;
• said backup rolls guidably engaging said annular gear inwardly thereof for constraining rotary movements thereof upon a fixed radius.

In a machine tool, a circular support having an upper support surface and comprising a series of separable arcuate sectors with radial ends;

• an annular gear overlying and being spaced from said support surface;
• a plurality of rollers carried by said support and engaging the undersurface of said gear to support the gear for rotation over a vertical axis;
• first and second annular rails on said support surface, one rail on each side of said gear;
• said first rail having a cam surface;
• there being a plurality of spaced work stations located around said support;
• a pallet for supporting a workpiece and movable through said work stations;
• means connecting said pallet to said gear for rotational movment, yet accommodating limited relative vertical and horizontal movement therebetween;
• a first roller carried by the underside of said pallet intermediate its ends on one side thereof and engageable with said first rail,
• a pair of longitudinally spaced second rollers carried by the underside of said pallet adjacent its ends upon the other side thereof and engageable with said second rail;
• a plurality of spaced abutments mounted on said support at each station, and engageable with said pallet when at a work station whereby said pallet is supported solely by said abutments and not by said gear, with said first and second rollers being spaced from said rails a small vertical distance;
• clamping means carried by said support engageable with said pallet for clamping the pallet to said abutments when at a work station;
• indexing means on said support for rotating said gear and thereby moving said pallet between work stations, whereby said first rail cams said first roller upwardly thereby lifting the corresponding edge of said pallet to a transfer position and lowering said second rollers to engage said second rail, and said pallet being lifted out of engagement with said abutments, resulting in the pallet and its workpiece being carried by said rails and not by said gear, as said gear is rotated to move said pallet to the next work station;
• radial depending end flanges at the ends of each sector, said sectors being arranged end to end in a circle, the end flanges of adjacent sectors being in lateral engagement;
• opposite ends of each sector having upwardly opening radial recesses defining a ledge;
• a radial spanner plate nested upon ledges between a pair of adjacent sectors;
• fasteners securing said spanner plates to said sectors respectively;
• said means interconnecting said pallet and gear including a pair of longitudinally spaced upright transport pins mounted upon said annular gear;
• their upper ends being tapered inwardly;
• there being an upright bore in said pallet terminating in a counter-bore defining a shoulder;
• a bushing within said counter-bore mounted upon said shoulder, cooperatively receiving a transport pin;
• there being a circular recess on the top of said pallet of a diameter greater than and coaxial to said counterbore;
• and a cover disc nested within said recess and secured to said pallet overlying and retainingly engaging said bushing;
• there being a pair of longitudinally spaced bushings upon said pallet cooperatively receiving said pins respectively, whereby said pallets are adapted for vertical and lateral movements relative to said transport pins at the same time maintaining a continuous drive relation between said pins and said pallet.

In a machine tool, a circular support having an upper support surface and comprising a series of separable arcuate sectors with radial ends;

• an annular gear overlying and being spaced from said support surface;
• a plurality of rollers carried by said support and engaging the undersurface of said gear to support the gear for rotation about a vertical axis;
• first and second annular rails on said support surface, one rail on each side of said gear;
• said first rail having a cam surface;
• there being a plurality of spaced work stations located around said support;
• a pallet for supporting a workpiece and movable through said work stations;
• means connecting said pallet to said gear for rotational movement, yet accommodating limited relative vertical and horizontal movement therebetween;
• a first roller carried by the underside of said pallet intermediate its end on one side thereof and engageable with said first rail;
• a pair of longitudinally spaced second rollers carried by the underside of said pallet adjacent its ends upon the other side thereof and engageable with said second rail;
• a plurality of spaced abutments mounted on said support at each station, and engageable with said pallet when at a work station whereby said pallet is supported solely by said abutments and not by said gear, with said first and second rollers being spaced from said rails a small vertical distance;
• clamping means carried by said support engageable with said pallet for clamping the pallet to said abutments when at a work station;
• indexing means on said support for rotating said gear and thereby moving said pallet between work stations, whereby said first rail cams said first roller upwardly thereby lifting the corresponding edge of said pallet to a transfer position and lowering said second rollers to engage said second rail, and said pallet being lifted out of engagement with said abutments, resulting in the pallet and its workpiece being carried by said rails and not by said gear, as said gear is rotated to move said pallet to the next work station;
• radial depending end flanges at the ends of each sector, said sectors being arranged end to end in a circle, the end flanges of adjacent sectors being in lateral engagement;
• opposite ends of each sector having upwardly opening radial recesses defining a ledge;
• a radial spanner plate nested upon ledges between a pair of adjacent sectors;
• fasteners securing said spanner plates to said sectors respectively;
• said first roller including a T shaped roller support secured to the undersurface of said pallet adjacent one side edge thereof;
• a transverse axle shaft journaling said roller and projected through said roller support and secured thereto;
• and fasteners interconnecting said pallet and roller support.

In a machine tool, a circular support having an upper support surface and comprising a series of separable arcuate sectors with radial ends;

• an annular gear overlying and being spaced from said support surface;
• a plurality of rollers carried by said support and engaging the undersurface of said gear to support the gear for rotation about a vertical axis;
• first and second annular rails on said support surface, one rail on each side of said gear;
• said first rail having a cam surface;
• there being a plurality of spaced work stations located around said support;
• a pallet for supporting a workpiece and movable through said work stations;
• means connecting said pallet to said gear for rotational movement, yet accommodating limited relative vertical and horizontal movement therebetween;
• a first roller carried by the underside of said pallet intermediate its ends on one side thereof and engageable with said first rail;
• a pair of longitudinally spaced second rollers carried by the underside of said pallet adjacent its ends upon the other side thereof and engageable with said second rail;
• a plurality of spaced abutments mounted on said support at each station, and engageable with said pallet when at a work station whereby said pallet is supported solely by said abutments and not by said gear, with said first and second rollers being spaced from said rails a small vertical distance;
• clamping means carried by said support engageable with said pallet for clamping the pallet to said abutments when at a work station;
• indexing means on said support for rotating said gear and thereby moving said pallet between work stations, whereby said first rail cams said first roller upwardly thereby lifting the corresponding edge of said pallet to a transfer position and lowering said second rollers to engage said second rail, and said pallet being lifted out of engagement with said abutments, resulting in the pallet and its workpiece being carried by said rails and not by said gear, as said gear is rotated to move said pallet to the next work station;
• radial depending end flanges at the ends of each sector, said sectors being arranged end to end in a circle, the end flanges of adjacent sectors being in lateral engagement;
• opposite ends of each sector having upwardly opening radial recesses defining a ledge;
• a radial spanner plate nested upon ledges between a pair of adjacent sectors;
• fasteners securing said spanner plates to said sectors respectively;
• the engagement of said pallet with said abutments comprising a plurality of spaced pairs of laterally spaced clamp projection feet depending from said pallet, each pair of feet having an abutment surface adapted for registry with an abutment respectively;
• said clamping means including a reciprocal circular locator normally nested loosely between each pair of feet when said pallet is at a work station;
• said locator including a depending locator rod of reduced diameter extending between said feet, through said abutment and through said support;
• and a cylinder assembly aligned with each abutment underlying and secured to said support and including a reciprocal piston rod extending into said support and flexibly connected to said locator rod;
• retraction of said locators operatively drawing said feet into securing engagement with said abutments;
• said pallet having a workpiece support surface;
• and a pair of longitudinally spaced workpiece locator pins mounted upon said pallet intermediate its end and projecting above said workpiece support surface.